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Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will start selling essential commodities at subsidised rates from today (Sunday) as part of its sales drive for the month of August.
The state-run agency will sell essential items, including lentil and edible oil, to 10 million family cardholders across the country.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi will formally inaugurate the drive in the capital’s Mohammadpur area adjacent to Town Hall, said a press release issued by TCB on Saturday.
However, TCB will not sell sugar this month too. Due to supply shortage and price volatility in the country's market, sale of sugar through TCB has been suspended for four months.
TCB had been selling only lentil and edible oil since last May as it could not procure sugar from the domestic market.
But rice provided by the Ministry of Food has been added to the list of products being sold since last month.
Under the OMS programme, each of 10 million cardholders can purchase maximum five kilograms of rice at Tk 30 per kg, two litres of edible oil at Tk 200 and two kgs of lentil at Tk 120.
Four months ago, a cardholder could also purchase one kg sugar at Tk 70.
According to the TCB data, loose sugar was being sold at Tk 130-140 per kilogram on Saturday. Its price increased by more than 61 per cent compared to last year.
The country has the demand for 1.75 lakh tonnes of sugar per month, almost all of which is imported through local refineries. Out of the total amount, TCB sells 10 thousand tonnes of sugar every month.
Humayun Kabir, spokesperson for the state-run organisation, said sugar imported for TCB through the purchase agreement has not yet arrived in the country. This is why sugar will not be sold in August.
Directorate General of Food would provide rice as per the requirements of TCB dealers, he said, adding that then the dealers would carry rice to their designated places and thus sell it to family cardholders.
Earlier in May, TCB Chairman Brig Gen Ariful Hasan told The Business Post, “We have taken steps to import sugar from Brazil, Turkey and the US. LC has already been opened as per the schedule for the first shipment on June 15.”
“From next July, we will be able to sell our imported sugar. But before that we are trying to import sugar from India to meet the short-term crisis. If we can do that, we will be able to deliver all the products, including sugar, to the customers before Eid next month.”
Sales of these essential items will start on August 13 and continue for a month, the press release said.
Distributors will conduct the sales activities as per the scheduled date and time with the cooperation of the city corporations, and district and upazila administrations, it added.
